


Light in the Deep

by Pilventekija



Category: Shall We Date?: Ninja Shadow
Genre: Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Alternate Universe - Navy, Canon-Typical Violence, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2020-05-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:01:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24455605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pilventekija/pseuds/Pilventekija
Summary: A group of sailors pull a merman out of the sea. A mysterious man appears in Nagasaki. The deaths that keep happening along the coastline and the Shogun's intervention. Blood is shed when humans and merfolk are forced into contact, but maybe something else can also bloom from these new relations.The truth of it all is hidden deep in the darkness. Can captain Makoto and his crew come out on top when the changes of the 19th century hit the shore?This story is built like a novel, so it's not necessary to know the characters beforehand. There's mystery, action and drama at the sea so if that's your thing, consider giving my story a chance!
Relationships: Makoto Nakagawa/Kagura, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Toshi Hijikata/Soshiro Okita
Kudos: 2





	Light in the Deep

The sea was quiet and sleepy in the last hours of the night. Dawn hadn't broken yet, but light was growing by stealth, unveiling a grand sailing ship buoyant on the waves. Only small ripple splashed against its hull, gently rocking the boat. Mist clung onto the three masts like a cool duvet protecting their sleep. _The Vigilante_ ’s every sail was folded in its gear, the heavy chain dived into the water and kept the ship in place.

 _The Vigilante_ might be resting, but asleep it was not. It was like a predator waiting for its prey, still until one word from the captain would launch it into action. Every sailor was awake tonight, when the sea, the waves and all the creatures underneath were still dreaming. Hurried footsteps echoed on the deck, they gathered swiftly and without a sound. No one dared to break the eerie silence around them. It was best not to disrupt the nature, the ocean was harsh and its vengeance cruel.

The captain was standing on the stairway to the helm, looking down at his crew. Silky, deep blue hair flowed from under the captain’s hat, reaching his waist. Delicate fingers gripped the railing, he was thinking.

Finally, he made his decision and gave his orders. A diviner pulled out a spell that burst into blue flames on his palm. He threw it into the air and dispatched a shikigami born from it. With his powers he surveyed the underwater area, searching for lifeforms. It didn’t take long for the shikigami to return. It had found a target.

Catching a mer was an intricate craft. People used ships made for it that were fast and nimble, designed so smooth they slid on the water with minimal ripples. There were three or more of them in a fleet and they fought with harpoons and nets, hunting ruthlessly.

However, _the Vigilante_ was a sailing ship made for long distance journeys. But that didn’t matter, for their target was easy. The shikigami had searched for any merfolk in the vicinity. There was no shoal anywhere, no experienced warriors who protected the weaker, easier prey. Clashing with a shoal was always a carnage for both sides, but tonight, there was only one mer sleeping on the seabed. They wouldn’t even know what hit them.

A small rowing boat was lowered on the water, with four sailors on board. One of them was the diviner, the three others were diver-catchers: fishermen specialized on hunting bigger, more intelligent prey. They knew the traps and tricks to handle a mission like this. Not like other fishermen, who threw their nets from boats, diver-catchers mimicked the hunting of other predators in the ocean and dived in to attack in the water.

Failing the mission was out of the question. Four men sat on the boat, the rower’s back facing the heading. The diviner sitting on the centre thwart pointed him the right direction. They had stripped from their shirts and he’d attached a charm on either of their belts for protection. They were all strong swimmers with an ability to hold their breath up to ten minutes, but it never hurt to be sure. They were receding from The Vigilante with every strong pull of the oars, planing through the languid waves towards their target.

Without a sound, the boat slowed down on the right place, casting a deep shadow underwater. One at a time, the diver-catchers jumped into the water with their equipment and joined the chase. It didn’t take but a few minutes for them to resurface again.

“They’re coming back!”

An excited shout echoed on the top of the main-mast, where a sailor was on a lookout. The rest of the crew dropped their work and ran to look into the open. The captain didn’t say anything. He lowered the spyglass from his eye and retracted it. He’d watched the whole time. As expected, the mission was a success- so far.

One of the drenched sailors on the rowing boat waved his hand when they were close enough to be heard.

“Drop the hook!” he yelled. There was a net tied on the stern of the small boat, something struggled in the water. A crewman untied the knot around the mast and a large metallic hook was let down with a splash. It was hanging at the end of a rope that went around a spar and through blocks to make a tackle. After the net was fixed to the hook, one sailor was enough to lift it into the air. Other hooks were tossed over the gunwale to lift the rowboat as well.

The moment the mer was pulled from the water, the first golden rays of dawn bursted from the ripping seam of the horizon. The bright light made everyone squint when an ear-splitting shriek broke the peace of the morning. The net swayed in the air when the creature trashed inside of it. The hardened ropes covered in tar and salt dug into their palms and corners of their mouth when they tried to break free.

“Watch it! Watch it! Carefully!”

Commotion filled the deck when they lowered the catch, the mer screaming and struggling incessantly. It took four men to release the net from the hook when the person inside of it wouldn’t calm down. The whole tangle thudded on the deck with a furious screech. The mer threw the heavy ropes off of them with their bloody hands and gave the humans a slit-eyed glare.

The captain, who’d supervised the situation from afar, walked closer now. He passed the row of his crewmen gathered around the mer, and stood face-to-face with them. He wore the formal jacket of the captain with golden embroidery on the front, and even if he didn’t he was a man with a strict authoritative aura. He frowned when he met the mer’s provocative eyes full of rage.

Now that the mer had shook the net off of their shoulders, they were completely unveiled under the captain’s scrutinizing gaze. The golden morning sun reflected from green and yellow scales, the light caressed the white skin of flat chest. They’d caught a merman, an adult but a bit short for his kind. His tail was striped, with smaller stripes appearing on his face and shoulders as well. He had wiry fins not easily torn by the roughness of the net, and his dorsal fin was spiked all the way down his back. The merman's skin was engraved with scars, some of them looked recent. He bared his teeth and hissed at the captain.

“Welcome on board,” the captain said with a cold expression and got a growl as a response.

“My name is Makoto Nakagawa. I am the captain of this ship. I apologize for the circumstances and the graceless handling. We are seeking your assistance.”

The merman was gnawing at the rope around his wrist, making blood stream down his wet arm. _The Vigilante_ ’s diver-catchers had replaced their harpoons’ sharp tips with retracting loops and caught their target unharmed. The ropes were still tightened around the mer’s tail and hands. His movements were jerky like he was panicking or agitated. Makoto wouldn’t come too close, but he tried again to get the merman’s attention.

“There’s no need to be afraid,” he said. “We’re not going to harm you.”

He wasn’t sure if the merman was violent because he was angry or because he was afraid. It looked like both, in rapid mood swings that turned into defensive behavior. Based on the scars and his sinewy frame he was a fighter, but he must have never been out of the water before.

The merman bared his teeth at the captain, the fins on both sides of his head spread wide, trying to appear as scary as he could. He kicked his tail trying to untangle it from the net, but lunged at the sailors who approached him to help with it. The frown between Makoto’s brows only deepened. He watched the merman whisking his head in every direction and snarling to keep the humans away.

“Would you calm down and talk to me,” the captain asked with a strained voice. His patience was wearing thin. “What’s your name?”

The merman snapped his head towards him and glared with furious eyes. He had heterochromia; the left eye was the same green as his scales, the right eye ruby red.

 _“I won’t tell our name to scum like you!”_ he screeched and spit towards Makoto, who took a step back.

“Hey! Don’t be rude to my Lord!” the first mate shouted, but Makoto silenced him with a swat of his hand.

 _“You cursed land-dwellers! You should off me instead of that disgusting pity! Come at me with all you’ve got! Give me something to fight for, you wretched cowards- kill me! Kill me! That’s all I’m good for!”_ The merman screeched and flapped his fins, swinging his claws at everyone in the vicinity.

_“Kill me!!”_

He fought against his restraints and the heavy net lying on top of his tail when his trashing came to a sudden halt. His whole body trembled, starting from his tail and traveling up his arms and neck. His eyes were wide with shock, he looked as confused as his audience.

“What’s happening?” one of the diver-catchers asked, and heads were turning towards the captain.

“When all of their scales dry, the merfolk adapt to the new environment as a survival strategy,” Makoto explained with a leveled voice. “They transform into humans.”

The change in his body distracted the merman from his anger. Eyes wide he stared at his scales melting into skin, his fins going limp before withering away. The silence that fell on the deck felt unnatural after all that screaming. It was like his aggression had been switched off, leaving him scared and vulnerable. His hands were shaking when he reached towards his tail which was disappearing at a good speed. The fins on his head become ears, the spiny dorsal fin curled up and fused into skin without a trace. The once-merman was left with a pair of pale legs. His toes twitched but otherwise he didn’t seem to know how to move them. The scars that had been on his tail still persisted.

Much to everyone’s surprise, tears were gathering into the merman’s eyes. He looked lost when he stared at his new legs, unable to say or do anything. All of a sudden he was fragile, about to break down. Relieved by the merman’s new, meek behavior, a diver-catcher stepped forward to help him remove the fetter around his wrist.

He kneeled and reached for the rope when the merman snapped his head towards him and attacked. It elicited surprised shouts from the crew and some of them jumped forward to grab the merman but he’d already dug his teeth in. The poor sailor screamed in fright and pain when blood gushed out where the sharp teeth had broken the skin on his arm.

A chaos ensued. Hands grabbed the merman and held him back, where others tried to stop the victim from yanking his arm and tearing the wound open. They had to force the merman’s jaw open so he would release the man. It eased considerably when the fangs shortened and became blunt like human’s, the last change before the transform was complete. The first mate wrenched the merman’s arms behind his back and pressed him chest down onto the deck.

 _“Kill me!”_ the merman screamed, his voice hoarse. _“End me right now! If you don’t I’ll kill you instead! Let me die!!”_

With blunt nails and teeth he wasn’t as dangerous anymore. Due to the size difference, no matter how much he fought back, the first mate was able to keep him down. A part of the crew hurried their friend away to get patched up, others lingered, unsure what to make out of the situation.

“Captain! What do we do?!” the first mate asked, his knee between the merman's shoulder blades, holding his arms behind his back. The captain’s face was grim.

“Your behavior is unacceptable,” he said to the merman, whether or not he was listening. The icy, furious aura emanating from him was so intimidating the first mate turned pale.

“I know the way we got you here wasn’t the most elegant, but no one had to get hurt.”

The merman glared back at him, defiant. For a moment it was a battle of wills, and the deathly silence that fell was even more terrifying than the merman’s raspy screams.

Makoto didn’t relent. In front of an iceberg, even the fiercest little merman had to reluctantly turn his gaze away. He bit his bottom lip until blood dripped down. Makoto’s cold eyes showed no empathy.

“Tie him up to the main-mast,” he said, without looking away. “Twenty-four hours. I’ll ask you again tomorrow, the same time, the same place. I hope we can come into an agreement then.”

A murmur broke out amongst the still present crewmates following the captain’s words. One opened his mouth to argue, but the captain silenced him with only one look. The order was final.

At last the exhaustion kicked in. The merman’s head swayed when he fought to keep it up, but then he just let it go. He stopped struggling and lay down, completely tired out. He didn’t react even when he was approached. Two men grabbed him and dragged his lifeless body across the deck to the center of the ship. While they were tying him up, the captain gave his conditions to the crew.

“You won’t talk to him. You won’t even look at his way. He can reconsider his attitude on his own. Don’t bother to feed him, either. We will carry on our work just like any other day.”

His stern eyes swept over his crew. No one had any objections, or guts to voice them. After a moment of dreadful silence, the captain sighed and took back his normal tone of voice. Like any other morning, he walked in front of the deckhouse and started giving out today’s tasks.

“Shintaro, look after Ukyo's injury. Eduard can take over his work for today, as he will not be allowed to participate. Yuzuki, assist him however you can and in the afternoon, let me see the map you’ve been working on. Asagi, you will be on lookout today. The rest of you, carry on normally.” The captain crossed his arms across his chest.

“We shall preserve the order on _The Vigilante._ ”

And so began the long day under the scorching sun. As told, the sailors gave the merman no attention aside from quick glances. They were busy on their duties, but the atmosphere on the ship was strained compared to the usual. No one mentioned it, at least not in the hearing range of the captain or the merman.

The merman writhed his hands behind his back. His useless legs were folded, though sometimes he was seen straightening them one by one to ease numbness. The warmth of the sun was making him dizzy, but he fought against dozing off. The vexed eyes glared at everyone passing by too close. Apart from occasional hissing the merman had resulted in obmutescence, ignoring the humans reciprocally.

The morning hours stretched by. After noon the sun was on its highest, casting its rays from straight above them and leaving no shade on the deck. The merman struggled to keep his eyes open, the way he squinted looked almost painful. His skin was so pale he was going to get sunburn in no time.

One of the sailors was taking a break by the gunwale. His skin was tanned, and he’d taken off his shirt in the heat, showing off his well-built figure. His facial features looked a bit different from others’ and his blond hair was reflecting gold in the sunlight. The merman stared hard at him when he took a deep draught from a leather flask. The sailor wiped his mouth with the back of a hand and noticed him looking.

If the midday heat was tiring out the crew, it must be even worse for the merman, who was not used to warm temperatures. He looked so miserable and thirsty with his chapped lips the sailor took pity on him. He glanced around but the captain wasn’t in sight, so he approached the merman. He muttered about it being unfair and wanted to share his water with real sincerity in his eyes.

When he got close, the suffering expression on the merman’s face changed in the blink of an eye. He bared his teeth at him, snarling viciously. Taken aback, the sailor left him alone.

There were others, too. Two crewmembers were gossiping in the shadow of the deckhouse. One of them was the diver-catcher with deep blue hair, wearing a pearl earring with a tassel. He was talking to a shorter man with lavender hair. He was dressed better than the sailors, in a formal jacket. He handed the other man a paper umbrella and disappeared back inside. After a moment, the blue-haired man passed by the merman and nonchalantly left the paper umbrella open on the deck, its shadow shielding him from the sun.

The injured diver-catcher waved his hand at the merman whenever he caught him looking, even when his other arm was heavily bandaged. He looked like he wanted to talk to him and stayed at a distance only because of the captain’s orders. As he was prohibited from working he hung around the deck a lot, striking up conversation with whoever had time. He smiled at the merman every time their eyes met, too.

In the end, the daily life on _The Vigilante_ was peaceful, with everyone helping each other and laughing together. There wasn’t a single person isolated from the group, they all got along. After hours of keen observation, the merman could remember all of their faces.

The one man he saw the most during the day was the first mate. He was a tall fellow with a broad chest and a booming voice. Combined with a scar on the left side of his face, the impression was quite intimidating. Despite the appearance, his demeanor was open and kind. The merman looked away every time he walked by, probably still bitter that he’d been held down by him.

The hours rolled by while the merman dozed off at the foot of the main-mast. As the day turned towards the evening, not as many steps crossed the deck. The lively chattering around the ship started to die down. With the cooling air the men prepared the ship for the night. They would sleep before confronting the situation at dawn.

For the last hour before the sun set, the captain took a chair out on the deck and sat there with a book. He had a quill pen in his hand and between every other sentence he wrote, he glanced at the merman. The merman glared back at him.

When it became too dark to see, Makoto got up and retreated into his chamber. One sailor was left on the deck with the merman to keep watch. The watches would stay up in two-hour shifts, the blond sailor started.

It was a windy night. Clouds covered the sky and created deep shadows by hiding the light of the moon and the stars. _The Vigilante_ was anchored for the night, all sails secured with clewlines and buntlines pulled tight. The vessel rocked afloat on the waves, a familiar sensation for experienced sailors.

Makoto Nakagawa was not one of those. It had took him the first few weeks to get used to the ground never being still under his feet and sometimes it still made him nauseous. Tonight, he finished writing the ship’s log, turned the oil lamp off and went to bed.

It was the last light shining into the darkness, not including the oil lamps in the masts. A heavy silence has fallen, a lull of the restless sound of the waves. The lone sailor stood on the deck with the wind ruffling his curly hair, performing his duty of guarding the merman.

The job was going to be easy with the merman curled up on the foot of the main-mast. He was so immobile he must be asleep. His body was bent forward, unruly hair hiding his face, surrendered.

The wind was not cold, but it was getting stronger. With the howling of it came another sound, a beautiful sound of your dearest memories. A gentle voice of a woman, was it your mother or the lover waiting for you, a dreamy lullaby. It brought you peace and the warm embrace of love and safety.

The next thing the sailor knew was that he'd hit his head on the deck, quite hard. For some incomprehensive reason he was on the ground, when he'd just been standing and leaning against a mast. There was a huge splash to be heard on the side of _the Vigilante_ , and that was when he noticed that the merman was gone.

In no time the crew was up and about again. The harsh sound of a bell and the sailor's desperate cries for urgency chased them out of their beds and on to the deck. The first ones passed the information to the next ones, until the news were on everyone's lips: the merman had escaped.

There was a bang when the cabin door was flown open. The captain stood on the threshold with the wind pulling the hems of his jacket, a grim look on his face.

"What's the meaning of this?" he asked and glanced over the group to find the man who was responsible. The sailor had sat down a short distance away and leaned his head on his hands when his comrade rubbed his back.

Makoto strived up to him.

"What happened?" he demanded to know, and had to raise his voice to be heard over the wind's howling. He used one hand to keep his hair out of his face.

"I don't know!" the sailor shook his head. "I don't get it… He was right here!"

"Sir, what do we do?" the first mate asked. He turned to look into the open, where the ocean churned with inky waves.

Makoto didn't answer. He took in the situation with careful perception. The watchman was still clutching his head, there seemed to be a missing piece on his memory. The ropes used to chain the merman to the main-mast were lying on the deck, still in one piece. Makoto stepped closer and then lowered down on one knee.

There was fresh blood on the ground. The merman had had to drag himself across to get to the gunwale.

"It's a pity, but there's nothing we can do! It would be ludicrous to go after him!" the cartographer pointed out.

He had wrapped himself in a velour dressing gown and shook his lavender head. Unlike others, he stayed far away from the edge and seemed to have little interest on the matter.

"We have to do something!" the red-headed diver-catcher cried out. Despite saying that, with his injured arm his options were scarce.

Ignoring everyone else, the captain addressed the diviner, who had walked over to stand by him.

“Where is he?” Makoto asked.

“Are you serious? That little pest!” the cartographer cried out but was dismissed.

Wordlessly the diviner pulled a piece of paper from his belt. A spell was written on it with careful strokes of a brush, it caught fire on his palm. A pinch of ash vanished into the wind when the shikigami took flight. It burnt a hole in the night with its brightness. Swiftly it sweeped down and flew away from the ship, with everyone’s gazes fixed on it.

The blue ball of flames stopped to hover over the surface of the sea, a few yards away. It sent out a flash to indicate it had found the target. The merman was still in the vicinity, probably too weak to move any faster.

“Any others?” Makoto asked.

More shikigamis were dispatched, all of them flying out to the sea. One by one they found a target, locked on and turned from blue to red.

“Not any mers, but other creatures to take into account. I’m afraid some of those are sharks,” the diviner said with an indifferent voice.

The same stern look as earlier was engraved on Makoto’s face. There were a couple of red flames moving steadily towards the blue one. A couple too much.

The black sea devoid of light. The wind that rocked the ship and incited the waves. The blood on the deck, that would bleed into the water and act as a bait for miles and miles around. There was a grave decision to be made, which the captain did in a split second.

“Go get him,” he told the diver-catchers.

The first mate and two others sprinted into action without a second thought. They had faith in their captain, what he decided was for the best. Defying the weather and the darkness, the brave team was sent out, guided by the diviner's shikigamis.

A tormenting wait started. Like twenty hours earlier, Makoto picked up his spying glass when the rowing boat moved farther away. He rushed up the stairs to the helm to get a better view.

They were only fires in the water now, each diver-catcher followed by his own blue light to help him see. With one eye closed and the rocking rougher than at daytime Makoto felt his balance to be off, but he forced steadiness into his stance with pure willpower. He clenched his jaw and risked getting seasick when he watched the red lights catching up to his crewmen.

The merman hadn’t been able to get away. His speed was so lethargic the team had caught up with him easily. Makoto knew he wouldn’t be able to fight back, either. He was so worn out that escaping was a foolish, desperate idea, one he’d still followed through.

From a distance it was impossible to figure out what was going on in the water. The waves were dancing with blue and red lights, flickering like one of them would go out at any moment. Repelling dizziness Makoto stared hard at them, until a red one vanished, then the another one. His team climbed back on the boat and started to row towards _The Vigilante._

There were two lights they dragged behind the stern of the boat, one of them addition to the number with which they left. When they got closer and Makoto looked over the gunwale, he could make out his first mate's face in the water.

The man looked up, distraught. He had the merman over his shoulder, who appeared unconscious.

“He’s injured!” he shouted to the men on the deck. “Tow us in, quick!”

A rope was thrown over for him to grab while the others were raised sitting in the boat. With a lifeless merman on his shoulder, the first mate put his soles against the hull and started walking. Oil lamps were lit up and medical supplies gathered while he steadily climbed higher.

Makoto stared at him over the gunwale. When he got closer the blood flowing down his bare torso was evident. It stained both of their bodies, dripping from the limp tailfin.

“I need hot water and vodka! Fill up the glass tank, we can’t let him transform now, he won’t make it!” the man shouted out orders even before he’d reached the deck.

Crewmembers ran to carry out his needs but the captain stood still in the middle of the chaos, his gaze fixed on the pale figure over the first mate's shoulder.

The merman’s dorsal fin was folded against his back, all tension gone from his body. His yellow and green scales were lacking their shine. He was naturally pale but now he looked like all the colors had been drained from his skin through the open wound on his side. Blood ran down his tail, dissolved in the seawater. The stab wounds were in a crescent formation, Makoto could count the teeth that had sunk in the flesh.

The first mate refused to give the merman over to Makoto when he reached the gunwale, instead climbed over it still clutching the smaller body against his own. He carried the merman into the deckhouse where the crew had prepared the first-aid supplies he’d requested. There was an empty table next to the glass tank. When he lowered the merman on it, his tail sank in the water and stopped him from transforming.

The glass tank had been there all this time for him. They assumed a mer would prefer staying in their original form, but humans still wished to keep them on board, so it was a compromise. The tank wasn’t big, but it was spacious for this one.

The first mate worked as the ship's doctor as well, so he took charge of the operation. He stitched the wound, answered his worried crewmates' questions as best as he could and then shooed them off to get back to sleep. The captain supervised the situation until it become certain that the merman would persist. Then he retreated back to his room.

The merman stayed unconscious through it all. When his wounds were properly bandaged, he was given a light piece of cloth by the first mate, who then crashed on his own bed. The heavy blanket of night fell onto _The Vigilante_ once again.

..  
...  
....

Few hours later the merman jolted awake. He opened his eyes wide and sat up to look around wildly. Nothing moved. There were no sounds other than his own. Water splashed to the ground due to his sudden movements.

He threw the cloth off to look down on himself. His middle had been wrapped in white strips of fabric. The merman pressed his palm to where the sharkbite was and winced.

His internal sense of time told him it was the moment of night right before it would start getting brighter again. The room was engulfed in darkness, but his eyes had no problem with it. There were a lot of stuff in here, like some kind of storage. On the opposite walls of the spacious room were two doors and two round windows. Across from the merman on a makeshift bed was a human sleeping.

The merman’s dorsal fin perked up and he let out a premonitory hiss. The human didn’t stir, only sighed in his sleep. The merman's heart was beating loud in his chest, adding to his haste. He looked around cautiously, then slipped his tail out of the water. Sitting on the edge of the table he lowered his chin and took a deep, shaky breath.

He had to close his eyes and muster up all of his concentration. From deep, deep into his chest he called forth a sound. Starting as a fleeting imagination, the sound grew to a buzzing on the back of your head, then a whisper in your ear. A voice of the woman in your heart, the one you’d give your life for, the one you most desired. Her song would enchant any man who loved her, her voice made you want to fulfill all of her wishes. There was no man immune to the deceptive singing the merman was able to induce.

“I knew there was a trick to your escape,” someone said.

The merman whipped his head up and clamped his mouth shut. The inboard door had cracked open and the captain was standing there, gazing at him. He had a mildly disappointed frown on his face that vanished quickly. The merman stared at him bewildered, then glanced around looking for an escape when the man cut him off.

“Don’t you dare move an inch. You've caused enough trouble as it is.”

He stepped forward and the merman squared his shoulders to defend himself but the man walked by. He went to check on the first mate and peered down at him. Without a warning he slapped the man across the face, but didn’t got so much as a flinch in response. The captain straightened his back and let out a sharp exhale.

“I expect him to be up and around the usual time in the morning,” he said his back turned to the merman. It sounded like a warning.

The merman’s eye whites glowed in the dark when his relentless gaze was fixed on the captain. He pressed his ear fins flat against his head when the man turned to look at him again. Under that scrutinizing gaze he was too afraid to bare his teeth. His survival instincts told him to submit when defying the opponent was a greater risk.

For a moment they just stared at each other, evaluating, pondering. What was going on behind those curious eyes, what did he feel in that untamed heart? A pressing silence stretched on until the merman lowered his gaze first.

“Very well,” the captain said softly. With his deep blue hair and dark clothes he blended well into the night. He walked back to his door.

“Go back to sleep,” he said. “That’s an order.”

With that he was gone. The merman pulled his tail close and curled up on the table, with the caudal fin still touching the water. He was too exhausted to think about anything. His side was sore but the dull pain wasn’t enough to stop him from falling back into a dreamless sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Where are all my Ninja Shadow fans?  
> Thank you for reading! All comments are appreciated, I work really hard to create an exciting and interesting story.  
> You can find me in Instagram with the same name if you wanna chat - there's also character art I created for reference !


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